Strand-working machine



1927. Feb 22 A. H. ADAMS STRAND WORKING MACHINE Filed May 30, 1924 Pate-'mea Feb. 22.41927.

4Nlrlazn STATES 'ARTHUR HERMAN ADAMS, or LA "efr'mzuen,4 rumors, assrGNoR fro WESTERN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY,' INCORPORATED, OF NEW 'YORIL N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW i i YORK.

Application led May 30, 1924. Serial No. 716,846.

This invention relates to improvements in strand working machines, and more particularly to tension control mechanisms for such machines.

The primary object of the invention is to maintain uniform tension on a strand Within a strand Working apparatus by means controlled by the worked or completed strand.

The present invention is particularly designed fer use in connection with strand working apparatus in which the working mechanism thereof tends to stretch the strand, the invention providing a means for reducing this stretching action and at all times maintaining uniform any stretching of the strand that may occur. The invention is shown as applied to a mechanism for coating wire, but the invention may be utilized for other purposes and is to be limited only by appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the invention as applied to a strand coating apparatus, and

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail in which like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views, 10 indicates generally a wire coating machine, schematically illustrated. of the type disclosed in Patent 1,303,070, granted Kochendorfer and Blount, May 6, 1919. This machine comprises essentially a framework 11 which carries what may be termed an oven 12 within which are disposed a plurality of vertical tubes 13 only one of which is illustrated. These tubes are lhea-ted electrically by means (not shown) but which is fully illustrated in the patent above referred to.

The machine illustrated herein is particularly designed for applying and baking an insulating enamel coating upon wire. The enamelingmaterial is disposed within a receptacle 14 secured tothe framework 11. Revolvably mounted Within the receptacle 14 are a series of sheaves 15 mounted upon a stud shaft 16 secured to the side walls of the receptacle 14. The sheaves 15 are so disposed within the receptacle that the spirit and scope of the` a portion of their surface is submerged with- 1n the enamel in the container. Disposed above the oven 12 is a 'second series of sheaves 17 positioned in alinement with the sheaves 15 and rotatably mounted upon a shaft 18 carried by a suitable bracket 20 attachedto any suitable support, such as anstretch on the wire treated by the machine comprises an arm 28 pivotally mounted upon a pin 29 carried by abracket 30 se cured to one side wall of the oven 12. Rotatably mounted adjacent. to the free end of the arm 28 is apulley 31 over which the coated wire is adapted to run, as will be hereinafter described. Attached to the arm 28 is a suitable friction brake 32 which is designed to contact with the head of a supply spool 33 rotatably mounted upon a horizontal stud 34 projecting from the wall of tne oven 12.. A tension spring 35 attached to one end to the arm 28 andits other end to the stud 34 tends normally to. hold the brake 32 in contact with one `head of the supply spool. l The operation of the apparatus is as folows:

The wire to be coated is fed fromthe supply spool 33 threaded around the first sheave 15 at the bottom of the machine then upwardly through the heating tube '13 and over one of the top sheaves 17, thencedown the front part of the machine over the second sheave 15 at the bottom of the machine, this wire Stringing operation through the heating tube and back down the front of the machine being continued for the vnumber of insulating coatings it is desired to bake upshown). As the machine operates, wire is drawn from the supply spool 33 through the com ound in the container 14 and through the ieating tube the desired number of times by the capstan 25 after which it isvfed to the take-up device (not shown). As the wire to be coated is pulled back and forth over the pulleys 15 and 17 by the capstan 25 it is stretched to some extent, and heretofore considerable difficulties have been encountered due to the fact that this stretching is not uniform and therefore results in a nonuniform product. These difliculties are overcome by the means herein disclosed, which applies a braking effect to the supply spool in accordance with the tension on the coated wire whereby the final tension on the wire as it goes to capstan 25 is held substantially uniform. This is another way of saying that the sum of all the frictional resistances or drags on the wire between the supply spool 33 and the capstan 25 is maintained substantially uniform. The operation of the brake 32 is readily apparent. When the tension on the wire looped about the pulley 31 exceeds a normal amount, the normal tension being set by the selection of a spring 35 having the proper tension, the arm 28 is lifted disengaging the brake 32 from the supply spool 33 permitting this spool to revolve more freely, thereby reducingv the total or final tension on the wire at capstan 25 to the normal amount. When, however, the

vtension on the `wire falls below the normal amount, the arm 28 is ulled downwardly by the spring 35 forcing t e brake 32 into closer contact with the spool 33 retarding the rotation of the said spool and thereby increasing the tension on the wire between the supply spool and the capstan 25. Thus variations in the tension due to sheaves 15 and 17 or to the coating compound are instantly compensated for by varying the-pressure on the supply spool brake 32.

As previously stated, the tension control `ling means `is not limited for use with the type of machine disclosed but may be used in connection with any strand working apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

-What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a strand working apparatus having means for working the strand wherein the strand is looped back and forth a plurality of times and means for supplying strand to said working means, of means controlled by the worked strand for maintaining a uniform tension on the strand ARTHUR HERMAN ADAMS. 

